A woman who slipped out of Australia after a video of her snatching a baby wombat from a road earned worldwide attention – and only added to the fire now that she’s been taken into custody in the United States for alleged hunting infractions.
Samantha Strable, better known on social media as Sam Jones, is charged with a string of offenses that stem from claims she misrepresented where she lived in order to acquire hunting permits in Wyoming. According to local reports, she was booked into a county jail in Sublette County, a mountainous region, on November 21. In court documents, the 25‑year‑old is accused of falsely asserting that she resided in the landlocked state so she could obtain several local hunting licenses. The charge list now includes eight misdemeanor counts, six of false swearing and one each for taking wildlife without a license and hunting as a non‑resident without a guide in a wilderness area.
Court filings confirm that Strable lives in Great Falls, Montana – a fact that became public when the clip from March went viral. In the footage, the self‑described “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist” is seen catching a newborn wombat on the side of a road at night while an Australian man records the event and laughs hysterically. With the baby dangling in her arms, Strable ran across the road, visibly distressed by the animal, and the joey’s mother could be seen chasing after them. The man comments, “Look at the mother, it’s chasing after her,” as the influencer lifts the wombat toward the camera, smiles, and captions the clip that it was her “dream” to hold the native Australian animal. She later returns the young marsupial to its mother, noting she is “pissed” but assures readers that “the baby and mum were safely united.”
When Australian officials called for her punishment, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also condemned the influencer, saying Australia was “glad to see the back of her” after she quietly left amid controversy. A Change.org petition calling for Strable to be banned from Australia garnered nearly 50,000 signatures before being closed. In response to calls for deportation, Strable issued an apology that suggested Australians were hypocritical in how they treat native animals and claimed the backlash was life‑threatening.
She wrote: “‘Am I a villain? Things, dear reader, are not as they seem,” she wrote. “Over holding a wombat, thousands threaten my life. Let me be clear. These same people ought to understand the reality of Australia today. For the readers that are so angered by my mistaken attempt to help and that I am a hunter – do not be blind to your country.”
Albanese fired back dramatically, challenging her to “take another animal that can actually fight back.” “I suggest to this so‑called influencer maybe she might try some other Australian animals,” he said. “Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there.”
Strable later expressed remorse for how she handled the incident, stating she was “truly sorry for the distress” she had caused and that her only intent was to ensure the animals were not in danger. “When we found the mother and joey on a road, not moving. I was extremely concerned,” she said. “As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn’t get hit.”
The U.S. authorities only recently became aware of her actions after receiving an anonymous tip on August 11. The tip alleged that “Samantha Strable continues to buy resident tags even though she hasn’t resided in Wyoming over two years, and brags about it on social media to over 90,000 followers.” The Cowboy State Daily reports that a search of the Game and Fish license database indicates Strable began purchasing resident licenses in 2022.
However, social media posts dated between April 30, 2024, and June 28, 2025, allegedly placed her in Montana and North Dakota, giving further credence to the allegations. The charges carry significant fines and possible jail time. Strable was released on her own recognizance on the same day she was booked.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
